La Ratatouille

As the much talked about new Pixar movie Ratatouille (Rat-a-too-ee) finally opens here in Germany officially tomorrow, we were able to be a part of the sneak preview shown on Sunday. I had ordered tickets weeks in advance and we were lucky enough to be a part of a few who got to watch it prior to it's opening.

I know we are late! I am sure half of the world has already seen it. But we had to wait until it was translated into German you see. This was Soeren's second real movie theater movie. It's such a pleasure to watch him getting all excited. I too became a kid and shared his enthusiasm and anticipation for the film.

To celebrate the grand event I made some original ratatouille. Ratatouille is a luxurious, rich and flavorful. The dish is a traditional French dish originating from the Provence region. Spiced with aromatic herbs cooking this dish leaves the aroma lingering all throughout the house. However, one is often served this great nutritious dish swimming in a liquidy bath with over-cooked vegetables.

It's not surprising therefore that many people have come to believe that ratatouille is some kind of a soup!

The name is comprised of two components:

rata is slang from the French Army meaning "chunky stew"

touiller, "to stir"

Think of ratatouille as is more of a concept dish than a specific recipe. It can take on a number of forms and is open to interpretation and experimentation. Let your tastes and preferences inspire you to create your own signature version of ratatouille!

The basic components that define the ratatouille are:

tomatoes (the main ingredient)

zucchini

eggplant

garlic

onions

herbs

These ingredients are traditionally sauteed in olive oil and can be served over rice or potatoes, preferably with a crusty French bread.

When preparing ratatouille keep in mind that the order of cooking is important, so keep the vegetables separate when preparing them. If cooking it for the first time, eat it hot as the main course; then have it again later as a cold hors-d'oeuvre. In the summer time, it's great as a cold main-course dish. It keeps for several days in the refrigerator.

In a frying pan, sauté the onion, garlic and peppers in olive oil over a brisk heat, stirring frequently. Season with salt and pepper as you go along. When the peppers are 3/4 cooked - they should be nice and crunchy - remove from pan and keep warm.

Sauté the aubergines until they are cooked through and nice and golden. Set aside with the peppers. Sauté the zucchini, adding the tomatoes and parsley as they start to become golden, and cook for a further 2 to 3 minutes. Return the peppers and aubergines to the pan, mix all the vegetables thoroughly. Add the basil.

If required, add a little water and then reduce. Transfer to a serving dish and garnish parsley and basil leaves.Verdict

Aromatic, creamy and full of flavor. We served it with some lovely rustic French baguette as in our opinion everything else simply takes away from the full bodied flavor of the ratatouille. Each forkful of exquisite vegetables was a pure delight.

I have enjoyed Ratatouille with couscous a lot in France (which seemed to be the standard vegetarian dish served at all dinner to us!). Your version looks different tho'... is it the way you have chopped the veges or something else!

You've decided me what to take for this weekend! We'll be staying in a rustic cabin in the woods with younger son vegetarian! I remember going with Gorn to preview star wars before we took our boys! Taking young ones to really good movies is totally awesome! Ratatouille is sure one of those movies!

That movie was released forever ago here in the US, but I have still not seen it :( We don't get to the theater very often, but I will be watching it when it comes to the video store! Your version of ratatouille looks amazing!

You're not the last to see the movie -- I am! Still haven't seen it, but it's on the list. I've made lots of ratatouille this summer, though. I never get tired of it and find lots of ways to use it -- a favorite is as a filling for omelets.

:-) This Sunday we made a few kilos of ratatouille that go into the freezer. Added to the other boxes of ratatouille we made earlier on. Love this dish and eat it all year round. And it tastes so much better after re-heating.

AHHH! The pleasures of Ratatouille. Thanks everyone for your thoughts and ideas on this recipe. For those of you who have not seen the movie please do and then come back home and cook some lovely ratatouille to soothe you! Hugs to you!

I took my boys to Ratatouille, but I made them watch the original version (luckily they are old enough to read the subtitles in Dutch). Like Pille I was tempted to make it the movie way... haven't done it yet. You made me remember!

Hey Meeta,thanks for the beautiful pictures and explanation! I love ratatouille and similar vegetable dishes. I recently made something similar that I called 'Martatouille' (you can see it on my blog if you like). It has some different veggies in it, so I guess technically it's not a ratatouille, but the concept is similar.. I wonder how strict the definition is. :)

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Hello, I am Meeta a freelance food photographer, stylist and writer living in the cuturally rich city of Weimar, Germany with my husband and our son, where I enjoy preparing multi-cultural home cooked meals with fresh organic ingredients. What's for lunch, Honey? is my award winning food blog where I combine my love for food with my love for photography and styling...